New Skelmersdale rail station a step closer - but which site do you prefer?

Where do you think is the best place to build the new railway station in Skelmersdale ?

Lancashire County Council is about to make up its mind, after spending £71,000 on a study to help decide between its two favoured locations.

It is the next step towards connecting Skelmersdale town centre to the rail network, and could see local residents travelling by rail to places like Manchester, Liverpool and Ormskirk within the next few years. .

The assessment to be carried out by Network Rail will compare the benefits of putting the station on land behind the Concourse Shopping Centre or on the site of the former Glenburn High School.

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Which site do you prefer for the new Skelmersdale train station?

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County Councillor John Fillis, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “We’re working through the formal process required by the rail industry to demonstrate the business case for investment in major new infrastructure, and this study is the next step.

“We’ve already demonstrated that the project can be delivered and should provide good value for money, and we now need to look in more detail at the practicalities, with one major consideration being where the station would be best located.”

The study will examine issues including how well the sites could be accessed by public transport, cyclists and pedestrians following proposed changes to local roads, and the feasibility of providing a 250-space car park with the potential to extend it to 500 spaces.

It will also look at how well each site could accommodate a bus/rail interchange with two platforms for trains, four drive-through stands for buses, and a booking and information office.

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County Councillor Fillis said: “A rail link for Skelmersdale is one of a wider set of proposals in our highways and transport masterplan to improve the town’s transport network and make it easier for people to travel on foot or on their bike.

“Our aim is for Skelmersdale’s railway station to provide regular journeys to Manchester and Liverpool, which would have a real impact on the opportunities available to residents and businesses.

“I hope that we will be able to fund the station, and other major improvements, through a Growth Deal with government as we have done in other parts of the county.